//------------------------------// // 79 - Upside Down Sideways // Story: An Extended Holiday // by Commander_Pensword //------------------------------// Extended Holiday Ch 79: Upside Down Sideways Act 10 “Hey, wake up! Come on, it’s been a few hours already!” a voice called to the unconscious Pensword as a hand shook him. Pensword groaned as he slowly opened his eyes. His head snapped up and, after the dizziness had passed, quickly took in his surroundings. “What happened?” A large, heavily muscled Human was shaking him. By the look of his face, Pensword guessed he was about sixteen to seventeen with grey skin and green hair that had been styled in a familiar messy formation. His features were sharp, and a pointed nose helped increase the impression. “You passed out on the trip. Can you stand?” the stranger asked. “Who are you?” Pensword blinked in confusion. He lifted a hand to his head, then paused as he realized he had a hand and not a hoof. “Wait…what?” He yelped as he held his hand out to see it better. He pushed his other hand against his chest and his eyes widened. “Heartbeat.” He shuddered and a wide grin overtook the bewildered gaze. “I have a face. I–I have fingers. And toes…” He snarked, then finally let the laughter go as he broke down into a fit of heavy giggles. “And you're making a scene. It’s bad enough you all look like you passed out in front of a high school. Breathe, Vulpix! Breathe!” the stranger said, his Phrench accent making itself clearly evident in his speech. Pensword took the opportunity to observe the boy’s black hooded sweatshirt and green muscle shirt underneath. A black leather belt blended with his black jeans, holding them up while a pattern of silver studs banded across the top in little dots, buckled with a silver buckle forming a familiar emblem. His hands were covered by green fingerless gloves and his feet were covered in black sneakers that Pensword guessed may have been steel-toed judging by the rounded dome in the tips. The handle of an epée peaked out over his shoulder. “Grif?” Pensword asked, confusion quite evident in his voice and on his face. ”What–How did I get human?” he whispered as he began to really look himself over. He paused as he noticed a human with straw colored hair and light bluish-grey skin. She was wearing a T-Shirt with a bomber jacket over the shirt and jeans with tennis shoes. “Is that….?” He trailed off when he saws Lunar Fang’s cutie mark in the form of a patch on the left arm of her jacket. He looked down at himself to find he was wearing a bomber jacket as well with black slacks, black tennis shoes, and a tan button-up shirt with its top button undone. “It seems to be the dominant species for this world,” Grif explained. “The only major differences are name schemes and skin coloring.” “Like… a hybrid of two worlds,” Pensword muttered. “Oh dear.” He looked around nervously. “I… I can’t feel my wings.” He snapped to his feet and stumbled in surprise as a sudden rush of blood flowed to his head, causing black spots to dance in front of his vision. “Did I just use a contraction?” “Considering you look probably sixteen or so, you may want to consider using them more,” Grif replied. “Sixteen?” Pensword’s eyes widened. “I–but–what?” He finally choked out. “Okay, I officially hate magic mirror travel.” A low groan sounded from behind, where a pale white boy with practically platinum blonde hair shifted on the ground. A plain red shirt hugged tightly to his frame, a symbol of a sun crossed by a four-pointed silver star displaying prominently on its front. A set of cargo pants hung stylishly from his waist as a set of high quality shoes shone brightly in the sun’s light. An H shone prominently on either side of the sneakers’ designs. “I feel like I’m gonna throw up.” He leaned onto his side, breathing heavily as he struggled to maintain his composure. His bright blue eyes left little doubt as to his identity. “Then throw up,” Pensword commented dryly. “It’ll make you feel better.” “What happened to me?” a familiar voice said as Grif turned to see a violet girl with indigo hair streaked with pink and purple highlights wearing a short purple skirt and a blue blouse. Twilight was freaking out at her new form while a green and purple dog attempted to calm her down. “Twilight, calm down. Now isn’t the time to panic. We’ll show you everything you need to know to get used to this,” Grif said, trying his best to calm down the panicking girl. They heard the start of a high pitched yelp that cut off mid-scream. Turning, the party found Pensword locking his lips and kissing Lunar Fang as deeply as possible. A few seconds later he disengaged, letting Lunar Fang take a few deep breaths to settle herself. “Well, that was exciting,” Vital Spark said, shaking his head. “Where are we anyways?” “Canterlot High School,” Grif said. “About twenty five minutes before classes begin, give or take.” “Classes? A school?” Vital turned to face the building in question. “So let me get this straight. We’re going to have to infiltrate a school to get to Sunset? And worse yet, a high school?” Vital groaned. “Why couldn’t it just have been a dragon’s cave? At least they’re reasonable.” “It gets worse. We are going up against the tyrant of the school. From what I’ve been able to find out, short of the principal and vice principal, her word is pretty much law.” “And if you want to get to work here, I’ll need to get you enrolled.” The group turned towards the voice, finding a man who looked to be in his late twenties to early thirties. He wore a white dress shirt and grey vest and slacks. Around his neck, a cravat puffed prominently. Off to his side, a familiar blue and gold coat lay in the grass. A great stone base towered behind him with a rearing stallion overhead. “That is a nice statute,” Pensword began, casually seizing his wife’s arm in a firm grip as she took a deep breath. “Dear, screaming will not do well. You are a Human now, and wings are not normal. We can handle being grounded for a week. I promise, when we get back, we will wrestle in the clouds, okay? Just take deep breaths and get a hold of yourself.” “We should head inside,” Grif said, “we’re causing a bit of a scene out here.” He looked around at a few of the passing high schoolers who stared at the group every so often. “Somepony … I mean someone is going to have to teach Twilight how to walk first,” Vital pointed out as Twilight fell onto the grass yet again. “On the plus side, she’s taking this a lot better than I thought she might. Good on you, Twilight.” Twilight smiled nervously up at the group. “Um … thanks. It helps having all of you here with me. I’d hate to have to do all of this alone.” “Well, we couldn’t chance you ending up in the middle of a battlefield.” Grif laughed. “Which, come to think of it, you kind of did. Lean your weight on your lower back,” he instructed. “Square your shoulders and keep your feet flat. You should be able to catch how it works quickly after that.” “Like this?” Twilight wobbled briefly, but she didn’t fall. “Good start.” Grif nodded. “Now when you take a step, you need to use the entire foot. Don’t shift your balance until you have your front foot firmly planted on the ground.” Grif did a few slow steps to give her a visual aid. “Every part of the foot matters, even the toes.” “... Every part matters,” Twilight repeated as she walked exaggeratedly, making a show of planting the heel down, then slowly lowering the rest of her foot to the ground before raising to the tip of the toes again and repeating with the other foot. “Was … was that right?” “You haven’t fallen yet, so you're definitely getting the hang of it. You see, Twilight, humans aren't born with any instinct on walking; it's a skill we need to learn. Ponies and Gryphons are born with what they need.” “So all humans have to go through this?” Twilight responded. “Well, it’s a little different for humans, since we get years to learn and you only have about a half hour, but you’re already a lot further than most would be. And besides that, you’re fully developed. A toddler wouldn’t be yet,” Vital added as he worked with Pensword and Lunar Fang to keep them on balance. “I cannot believe I have to get help to walk. I should be helping Lunar Fang,” Pensword muttered darkly. “I’d say it’s like riding a bicycle, but frankly, I doubt you could accomplish that either right now.” Grif chuckled. “Fluid in the ear canals, Pensword. You remember that part, right? Use your head to direct your motion.” “And if you’re really having a hard time with it, give Vulpix a little more room to breathe. He knows all about being human, remember? Including muscle memory,” Vital added. “I–I don’t remember,” Pensword whispered. “I feel strange. My center of gravity is too high up. Not enough limps. How am I going to deal with close combat if I cannot buck something? Or dive bomb them?” His pupils were wide as he stared at his friend, his body beginning to tremble from the rush of adrenaline. “I am a teen. For the third time. … You help Lunar Fang first. I’ll–I’ll find a way around the statue.” He raised his voice. “Stupid legs falling asleep.” He looked over to the school’s main entrance, where many students were flocking now that they’d heard a logical explanation for the weird kids’ strange behavior. “Looks like a fancier school then I ever went to.” “I’m sorry to say, but since we have a time limit, and you all need to investigate in the school, you may need to relearn and learn on the go,” Hammer Strike commented dryly. “If I have to go through and figure out a method for getting you in the school by today, then we have less than twenty minutes.” He stood up, retrieved his coat, and hung it across his arm. “Understood,” Pensword said as he hobbled to Lunar Fang’s side. “How about we help one another?” he asked as the couple worked to learn and relearn how to walk on two legs. “Well then, shall we?” Vital asked, motioning towards the school. “We have to get things settled at the principal's office, right?” “I agree,” Lunar Fang responded “Then let’s go,” Hammer Strike said, gesturing with his head towards the school. They entered the main lobby and passed into a large circular area with trophy cases spread out among the walls. Before Grif could act, Twilight had tried to use her non-existent horn to open the doors, only to smack right into them. Now they were in a two story lobby and banners of a horseshoe in the shape of a U with two rearing stallions on either side was spread out from the upper regions of the lobby. Pensword looked around and pointed to a side entrance off the main lobby that read Main Office over the archway. “I think that way.” “Yeah, I’d say that’s a pretty good guess,” Vital responded. Hammer Strike led the group inside, finding a familiar woman with silver hair and steel colored skin at the desk. A single class ring bedecked her right hand while a wedding band gleamed from her left ring finger. Her business suit was simple, yet elegant: a blend of grey and silver to match her skin tones with thin vibrant gold stripes accenting the coloration. A gold laced silver kerchief stuck out from the business suit’s pocket, and her hair was tied back into a bun with an opal pin to hold it in place. “Oh, Superintendent Hammer Strike. It’s good to see you. What brings you to the school? The board of review isn’t for another few weeks,” she said. “I’m here due to some ... unexpected plans,” he responded simply. “I need to enroll these five here for classes as soon as possible. If possible, I’d like them to start today.” Pensword stood silently. Normally, he would have objected, but It helped that Lunar Fang almost tripped when she saw who was sitting behind the desk. Vital looked bewildered, but did his best to hide it by looking around at the school’s architecture. “That’s… Grif Grafson and Vital Spark. I thought you’d already decided to send them to Crystal Prep, Superintendent.” “Um, after looking over your school's sports department, I have taken it upon myself to start a fencing club and spread the noble art here.” Grif wasn’t sure where that came from, but he figured it was his best bet shot at the moment. “Well, we certainly can’t go wrong with an award winning fencer,” the secretary said after a time. “It’s good to finally meet you.” “Charmed, madam,” Grif said, thickening his accent a bit as he took her hand gently and gave it a light kiss, which earned a giggle from the receptionist. “I’ll get your transfer papers to Principal Celestia right away, Superintendent,” Platinum said. “Welcome to Canterlot High, all of you.” Pensword closed his eyes and shook his head. He just waited for the inevitable questions to come. No identification numbers, no official documents, nothing. If anybody asked …. Wait a minute, wasn’t it normally Twilight’s job to worry? Speaking of which ... “Uh, where is Twilight?” he asked. Twilight had decided to take a walk through the halls of Canterlot High. She’d stay close to where Hammer Strike and the others were, so it should be okay. She was about to turn back when her ears picked up something in one of the less crowded hallways. “Oh, I’m really sorry,” A small timid voice echoed. “I–I just found it and I thought I should give it to her. I didn’t know you had dropped it.” “Well, I did, and I was about to get it before you swooped in and ruined everything! You shouldn’t pick up things that don’t belong to you!” The voice was far more confident and had a cruel undertone to it. “It doesn’t really belong to you either,” the timid voice whispered. Rounding the corner, Twilight saw a human that had yellow skin, a complementary forest-green skirt and white blouse, and pink hair with a butterfly hairclip. “Excuse me!” the other girl, a darker yellow human with an all-too-familiar yellow and red hair color pattern shouted. From what Twilight could see, she wore a black leather jacket and an orange miniskirt. Sunset Shimmer slammed her hand down beside the yellow girl’s head, striking the lockers that she had backed her into. “Nothing,” the girl whimpered and whispered at the same time. “That's what I thought! It’s as good as mine and you know it!” Spike started to growl beside Twilight as they watched. “You really are pathetic! It’s no wonder your only friends are a bunch of stray animals.” “How dare you speak to her that way!” Twilight demanded as she stared the bully down. Sunset turned to glare at her. “What did you say?” A male student who had been walking nearby proceeded to push himself up against the lockers and quietly sneak past the pair. The two approached one another, both leaning forward, both hands behind them bunched into fists. “I said how dare you speak to her that way!” Twilight responded. They stared eachother down, then Sunset smirked, bringing a finger up beneath Twilight’s chin. “You must be new here,” she scoffed as she flicked Twilight's head up. Walking past, she sneered. “I can speak to anyone any way I want.” Sunset continued on her way, looking to the student who had been sneaking to get past. He responded by slamming himself into his own locker. She was just about to walk triumphantly away when she bumped into someone. “I would thank you to know that tone will not be accepted when talking to my friends, mon amie.” Grif stared down at Sunset with a hard glare. “You watch your tone when you talk to me,” Sunset returned, glaring up at him. The two looked at each other wordlessly as Sunset moved to get around him. “Um … is it just me, or was that …?” Vital started. “Sunset Shimmer.” Fluttershy nodded. “She pretty much runs the school. She’s a big meany, but nobody’s been bold enough to stand up to her before.” “Well, if there’s one thing these two have,” Lunar Fang said, gesturing between Grif and Twilight, “it’s boldness. Though some might call it a  lack of common sense.” Pensword spoke up as he worked to pull the poor student out of his locker. “What does that make you if you hang out with us?” he teased. “Sincerely doubting my own sanity,” Lunar Fang shot back playfully. Pensword laughed at the quip. Fluttershy turned to Twilight and Grif. “I can’t believe you did that.” “I couldn’t just stand there. Neither could Grif.” “Well, it’s just that … nobody ever stands up to Sunset Shimmer.” “Well maybe it’s about time somebody did,” Vital Spark said. “I hate bullies.” “Oh, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you all around here before. Are you exchange students?” Fluttershy asked. “Yes, we just transferred here,” Grif offered quickly. “I’m sorry; we didn’t get your name,” Twilight said, idly stomping her foot and balling her hands like hooves until Grif cleared his throat and shot her a kill gesture. “Oh, I’m sorry. My name is Fluttershy. It’s nice to meet you. And what was your name?” “I’m Twilight Sparkle. We’re from … out of town.” “Oh, are you from the big city? How exciting. You have a big park there, don’t you? With a petting zoo and lots of little animals? Oh, I’ve always wanted to go there and get to know them. I’m training to be a veterinarian some day, you know.” She smiled sweetly. “Ahem. Ikespay, eednay omesay elphay easeplay,” Grif said quietly, backing up as Twilight's face nearly went red while she tried to think of an answer. Taking the cue, the dragon-turned-dog barked happily and wandered into view, grabbing the girl's attention. “Oh my goodness! Who’s this sweet little guy?” Fluttershy asked, suddenly much more bold as she slid beneath Twilight’s leg, causing her to pinwheel on her one good leg as she struggled to regain her balance. Finally, Twilight got back to two feet again. “That’s Spike. My, uh … dog,” Twilight said nervously. “Oh, he’s so cute!” Fluttershy said as she pulled out a dog treat from her bag. “Go on. Eat up, little pup.” Spike experimentally took a small bite of the treat. Finding that it tasted great, he proceeded to gobble the rest down quickly. “If I may, what was your fight about anyway?” Grif asked. “Oh … I, um … accidentally took something of hers. She was really upset.” “Crown? Made of gold-like material? Possibly a large gem?” he asked, raising an eyebrow. “Yes. How did you know?” Fluttershy asked, shocked. “Internet,” Grif responded off the top of his head. “Any idea where we might be able to find it?” Twilight asked. “Oh, I gave it to Principal Celestia to look after. Since it looked important, I thought she was the best person to turn it over to.” “And where’s her office?” Vital Spark asked. “Most likely in the Main Office,” Pensword quipped. “It’s the third door on your left,” Fluttershy said helpfully. “A lot of people get confused by that, actually.” She giggled when a bell suddenly started ringing. “Oh my, I have to get to class.” she began to run off. “Oh, before I forget. Pets aren’t really allowed here in the school. So you might want to put your puppy in your backpack. That’s what I do,” she said, opening her pack briefly for the others to see a bird, cat, and bunny before she rapidly zipped it back up and rushed off down the hall. “See you later!” “So, alternate reality duplicates are confirmed,” Grif said as they turned for the office. “Who wants to bet that the principal will not be all-too-willing to hand the crown over to us just because we say so?” “Agreed. And I’d rather not risk us being committed by talking about magic at the moment,” Pensword said. “I agree. This world is clearly like ours. Everyone has cell phones and other technologies besides. On the plus side, that means we should fit in fairly easily. On the down side, that means we have to relive the nightmare that was our high school days,” Vital Spark said. “Well, it should be a lot less nightmarish,” Grif said. “I mean, seriously, look at us! Were any of us in half this shape before in high school?” Grif asked, flexing his arm, causing the sweater sleeve to strain a bit. “Okay, you have a point there. We should be able to defend ourselves if bullying becomes an issue. I just really don’t want it to be.” “So it’s simple,” Grif said. “We need to find out what the crown is going to inevitably be the prize for and make sure Twilight wins ... in a school that doesn’t know her ... within a week’s time … and against a girl who is at the top of the totem pole.” Grif considered his words for a moment before shrugging. “What the heck? We’ve faced worse odds.” “And none of them are out for our heads on a spike,” Pensword added on. “Isn’t that a relief?” Hammer Strike commented to the group, papers in hand. “Had to fill in some papers for you before you could all be placed into classes. So, I have your list of classes here,” he finished, distributing the papers to each member of the group. “Okay, while we’re in here, you can work on getting us money, a vehicle, and a place to sleep tonight. Also, we’ll need some cell phones and a tailor,” Grif said. “I’m working on a plan.” Hammer Strike gave him a flat stare. “Anything else you want to add to that list? I already know what I need to do while you’re all in class. Speaking of which, you have, at best, five minutes to find them and get to them.” “Not a problem. I–” Pensword looked down and grinned. “–History!” He beamed, poring over the map in its packet before looking to Lunar Fang’s schedule. His grin grew wider. “Hey, we have the same class first period. Come on, I’ll lead you there!” In mere seconds, Pensword was nowhere to be seen. All that remained was a tiny dust cloud where he and Lunar Fang once had stood. “Twilight needs to speak with Celestia's double here,” Grif said. “Apparently she has the crown.” “Yeah, I saw it already,” Hammer replied. “It’s for the elected princess of the Fall Formal.” “Pinkie Pie?” Grif asked. “No idea, but I can’t stick around too long to help you figure that out. I make the staff here a little … nervous,” Hammer finished with a small chuckle. Vital Spark grinned. “Well, I’ll see you guys later. I have some orchestra practice to get to. Thanks, Hammer Strike.” “Glad I was able to sway their choices on your classes.” “See everybody at lunch,” Grif said. “I got World History.” With that, Grif headed off. “After school, meet me outside near the statue,” Hammer called out to the group as they separated to their classes. He shook his head, a grin on his face. “Now I really do feel a bit old.” Hammer Strike sighed to himself as he strolled through the town in search of a place where he could exchange bits for some of this world’s currency. After passing a few shops, a thought occurred to him. “They are currently in classes … and they don’t have school supplies,” he muttered to himself. He ignored the looks that individuals gave him as he continued on his way, still wondering to himself what he was going to get for everyone. He had a copy of their classes, so he knew what supplies he had to get for them at least. Eventually he found a jeweler that advertised exchanging gold and jewels for cash. He rolled his shoulder as he opened the door and entered the establishment. “Twenty Four Karat Jewelers, how may I help–? Oh, Mister Strike. Come for the usual appraisal, I assume? I thought you weren’t due for another week. Weren’t you supposed to be checking one of your mines in Zebrica?” A purple man asked. He wore a typical jeweler’s outfit with a yellow undershirt and a brown sweater-vest. A black tie hung around his neck and a large gold ring with a great diamond sat on his ring finger. His Green-and-white highlighted hair was greased backward for a professional appearance as he set his appraisal tools onto the counter. “I’ve had some unexpected plans pop up, and it’s altered my schedule quite a bit,” Hammer commented as he walked up to the man. “I did happen to grab something before leaving, though, and I’d like to do some business with you.” “It’s always a pleasure, Mister Strike, why, ever since you started coming here, business has never been better.” Karat’s topaz eyes twinkled as he grinned. “What do you have for me today?” Hammer Strike reached into his folded coat, searching his pockets until he pulled out a thumb-sized black diamond and placed it into Karat’s hand. “Mister Strike, you never cease to amaze,” Karat said as he carefully placed the jewel on the countertop and donned a pair of magnifying lenses for closer inspection. “And the quality of the cut is very well done indeed. That’ll certainly save me some extra time. Pity I couldn’t see it in its original condition. “That is its original condition.” “... Why am I not surprised?” Karat chuckled and shook his head. “Well, sir, the quality’s certainly high. It’s smooth, well polished, practically immaculate. And better yet, I detect absolutely no flaws. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say it was manufactured, but I know you’re not that kind of man. This could cause tidal waves in the gemstone market. It’s worth at least fourteen thousand bits at a minimum.” “That’s fine.” “But I haven’t even told you the highest estimate.” Hammer Strike shrugged. “I said fourteen thousand’s fine. When you deal with it, use the extra funds to help out the business.” “As always, thank you, Hammer Strike.” Karat broke into a grin. “This is going to bring in so much business.” The man pulled out a stack of bills. “If you don’t mind my asking, which charity are you donating to this time?” “Some of this has to go towards that change in plans I mentioned earlier.” “Well, if you need anything else, one of your bank’s branches is just down the street a ways. I’m certain your employees would be happy to assist.” Hammer Strike gave a grin. “Until next time.” The music room was fairly average with a green tile floor and a makeshift stage for smaller performers and chamber groups. A semicircle of stands pointed towards the doors to the room as the sunlight shone in from the three great windows behind the group. A heightened music stand stood at the ready as a tall, slender woman with silver-streaked white hair tied in a bun conducted with her baton. Her hands shone in the light, having recently been moisturized with hand lotion. She smiled in her knee-length red skirt and yellow sleeveless collared shirt. A small silver pin showing pegasus wings surrounding a treble clef accented the design alongside her ruby-red rhinestone studded bar note earrings. More than a few of the students fell out of time as their eyes drifted towards the doors behind their teacher. “Stop, stop, stop, stop. How many times do I have to tell you kids? While playing a piece, your eyes have to remain on me. I don’t care if Starswirl the Bearded’s ghost appears. Eyes. On. Me. Just look at Octavia. She has the right idea.” A young girl with long black hair laid her cello to the side and stood, adjusting her purple bowtie and smoothing her purple skirt. “Um, Miss Silver Note? I believe we have a new arrival.” She pointed to the door, where Vital Spark stood and blushed. “Um … hello. My name is Vital Spark. I just got transferred here, and according to my schedule, I’m supposed to be in your class now.” Miss Silver Note raised an eyebrow. “Well, come on, come on. We haven’t got all day, Mister Spark.” She extended an expectant hand as Vital approached the stand and handed her his schedule. A few moments later, she handed the paperwork back to him. “I take it you play an instrument? Do you have one with you, or do you need to borrow a school copy?” Her voice, while prim and proper, echoed warmth and kindness as she smiled at him. “I’m a violinist, ma’am. I’ve played since I was very young. I’m afraid I don’t have my violin with me, though. Customs had to confiscate it for a time. I don’t know how long it will be before I get it back.” Some of the students began to whisper amongst themselves. The teacher tapped the baton on the stand. “Now, now, it’s not uncommon for those of us to pick up the drums of Zebrica, so let’s not judge just because he chose a different instrument,” she said chidingly. Then she turned to Vital again. “Although I have to say, your mastery of English is remarkable. I don’t detect even a hint of an accent.” She sighed. “Pity. I wish your school hadn’t drilled it out of you. We could use a little more diversity in our school.” She indicated a door in the back.“The storeroom is back there. Please, pick up a violin and join whichever section makes you most comfortable. I’m sure one of the students can offer you his or her music to share for now. We’re a good ways into the unit, so you’ll just have to sightread as best you can. If you have questions between sessions, just raise your bow, or ask one of the students to either side. You should be able to pick it up pretty quickly.” She smirked. “Alright, kids, you can save the gossip for after class. We have a piece to get ready, and we only have about a week before the crowning ceremony. Let’s get cracking.” With that, she raised her baton as Vital Spark took his place in the back. “Alright, let’s start from measure thirty four, letter A.” Pensword walked into the class, Lunar Fang clutching to his arm. Her eyes darted left and right as they passed through the doorway. The teacher looked idly up from his textbook as the pair interrupted the class. Pensword smiled weakly at his new history teacher. The middle-aged man was dressed in slacks, polished black shoes, a white shirt, a yellow tie, and a blue and white diamond patterned sweater vest. His skin tone was more of a dark grey. “You must be the new students,” he commented. “Well, come on up here. You know the drill. State your names and take your seats. We can take time tomorrow to hear about where you’re from, hobbies, and all that other stuff. Right now we’re dealing with the colonization of Equestria after the unification of the three original governments. Come on now, we don’t have all day.” “Of course.” Pensword nodded as they walked to the front. Matthew took over for a brief time, standing a little taller as he let his smile drop. “My name is Pensword.” “And I am Lunar Fang,” Lunar Fang said. “Oh, how sweet,” a snide voice in the back spoke up, “she likes him.” “She hurt her ankle,” Pensword snapped. “I am being a gentleman and helping her around.” “Enough.” The teacher snapped. “Please, take your seats. And Bluestar, if you speak out of turn again, I’ll dock half of today's participation points.” “... Yes, Mister Night Sky,” Bluestar muttered as he dropped his head into his book, blushing violently while the rest of the class snickered. “Good. Now, we have a few extra textbooks in the back. Take one and write your name in the cover. That will be your textbook for the remainder of the year. You’ll find the content we’re covering on page sixty six.” With that said, Night Sky proceeded to pace the front of the classroom, grabbing a piece of chalk from the board at the front of the class in his blue-black hand. His silver hair was spotted with light blue that shifted like stars. “So, can anyone tell me what the greatest foreign threat was to us at this time period?” he asked as he jotted the words early threats in bold capital letters. Bluestar raised a hand. “Well, it would be the Natives to the West, right? They posed the greatest danger to the new settlers.” “Try again. I said the greatest foreign threat, Bluestar. The Thestral Clans would be considered a domestic threat, and at the time there were no major disputes.” A light blue hand shot up, belonging to a girl with very familiar blue and white hair. “Yes, Colgate?” the teacher asked. “Would it be the Graphimic Empire? They’d tried colonizing this land only a few hundred years earlier and failed due to lack of food supply. They couldn’t farm in the different environment, so it’s only natural they’d have wanted to conquer the land after all the settling had been properly accomplished, not to mention the three settling factions all had fled here originally to escape the empire. With the new country still stabilizing after such a long and intense civil war, it seems like they’d see it as their chance to take it back.” Night Sky chuckled dryly to himself as he nodded. “Yes, Colgate, but maybe next time do you think you could let me teach the class?” He chuckled again as he drew an outline of what Colgate had said on the board. “Your answer basically just abridged most of the information in today's lesson, which means we can go a little more into detail. Excellent!” A collective groan arose from most of the classroom. “Please turn to page seventy and we can discuss the conflicts that led to the first of the Graphimic Wars. And remember, for tonight’s homework you need to answer the critical thinking questions at the end of this chapter on page seventy five.” Grif smiled to himself as he listened to the lesson. He and Twilight had the same World History class first off, which he guessed was no coincidence. The teacher had instantly caught Grif’s interest. Extra Credit was a skinny, unassuming sort of person with a forest-green skin tone and messy brown hair. He had a high pitched voice with a kind of gravelly tone to it that was surprisingly not as unpleasant as its description sounded. Rather than halting the class to inquire about the late comers, the teacher had simply indicated an empty set of desks at the back with a side note that they would talk after class. He motioned for another student to lend them a textbook and returned to his lesson moments later. “And so, this period in Vulpan history is known as the Sengoku Jedi, or the Warring States Period. Wars were fought near endlessly for almost a hundred years straight over who would control the small continent, during which the Kitsune warriors would abandon much of the tenants of their sacred code in order to further their ambitions. During this time, however, we also see the rise of many great figures, be they warlords, artisans, vassals, or as we’ll study in today's lesson, Ultimate Edge: the unequaled swordsman of the time. He won his first duel at the age of fourteen, when a wandering swordsman left an open challenge. Now Edge’s uncle tried to…” Grif hung onto every word of Extra Credit’s lecture, translating bits and pieces as best he could for Twilight’s Pony perspective of history. Extra Credit was just getting into the story of one of Ultimate Edge’s most famous duels when the bell sounded. With a mournful sigh, Extra Credit nodded. “Very well. I guess you’ll have to finish tonight’s homework to find out what happened.” He smirked. “Read pages twenty five through thirty in your textbooks and do the questions you find. Remember, your historical reports are due Monday. See you all tomorrow.” As the class filed out, he motioned for Grif and Twilight to approach. “So, who are you two?” “I am Grif Grafson,” Grif said, “and this is Twilight Sparkle. We’re newly transferred students.” “And you have your papers confirming this?” he asked Grif handed his papers over. He looked over to Twilight, who did the same. Extra Credit scanned them for a few minutes before handing them back and nodding. “Okay then, I guess I’ll be teaching you for the rest of the year. I’ll have textbooks for you tomorrow. For tonight, you won’t have to worry about homework. I’ll prepare a summary of the semester’s high points for you to use to catch up. I hope we can get along in future classes. It’s always a pleasure to see another passionate historian,” he said, winking at Grif. And with that the conversation seemed to be over. Grif and Twilight headed to lunch, their minds focusing on finding out more about what they’d need to do to retrieve Twilight's crown. The cafeteria was abuzz with activity as high school students of all shapes and sizes clustered together to grab their lunches. As Pensword, Vital Spark, and Lunar Fang came together, they found an empty table and sat down to enjoy their meal, reserving seats for Grif and Twilight once they had finished on the line. “Um … is it just me, or does it look like this school takes stereotypes to a whole nother level?” Vital Spark asked, motioning around. Each segment of the cafeteria had been divided to fit the various niches of the school: the arts, the nerds, the athletes, etcetera. “Right,” Pensword said, taking in the situation. “Still, at least we do not have to worry about being interrupted during our meal.” Vital’s eyes widened. “Pensword … what did you tell me about inviting a certain chaotic friend we all know into the equation?” “Vital, this is a high school. They work in cliques, and it is actual societal suicide for a jock to sit with a theater person. Seeing as we are the new guys, and we are sitting together, we represent an unknown, and they need to see where we fit in on the pecking order. Today, we are fine. Tomorrow, maybe not. But for this moment at least, high school social politics are working in our favor.” “I don’t think that’s what he means, Pensword,” Lunar Fang said, placing a calming hand over his shoulder, even as her eyes scanned the lunchroom for possible threats. Meanwhile, back on the lunch line ... “We still have to figure out how I’m supposed to enter this Fall Formal Princess thing,” Twilight noted as she picked up a sandwich from the counter. Grif shook his head, removing the roast beef sandwich from her grasp and putting it on his tray before grabbing a vegetarian sandwich and placing it on her tray. “Have you tried asking someone?” Grif asked as they moved on. Twilight would reach for something and Grif would casually make a correction for her. “What about Fluttershy over there? She’s likely to know who we need to speak to.” He pointed to the familiar yellow girl in line ahead of Twilight, idly wondering to himself if she’d heard their conversation, or if this world practiced the same selective deafness of Equestria. “Excuse me, Fluttershy, was it?” Twilight said, turning the girl. “Yes?” She asked, looking nervous and startled at being talked to in the lunch line. “Sorry, I was just wondering if you knew anything about the Fall Formal? How would I sign up to run for princess?” Twilight asked. “You would have to talk to Pinkie Pie,” Fluttershy said with a grimace, “but that would be impossible anyways. You would need to unify all the groups, and the last one to try … well, last I heard, she moved three states over and she’s still scared Sunset will come after her.” She looked around. “Just be careful about Pinkie Pie,” she whispered. “She’s a big meanie who’s too loud and can’t keep a promise.” Grif shot Twilight a look. There was something more to that part. The three of them proceeded to check out. Thankfully, the paperwork Hammer Strike had given them had included a lunch voucher for each of them. The person behind the counter, who looked suspiciously like Granny Smith, just smiled as she placed an apple on their trays. With a bit of skilled walking, Grif had managed to herd Fluttershy over to the table occupied by the others. “I believe you remember our friends Vital Spark, Pensword, and Lunar Fang.” Pensword looked up. “Oh, hello, Fluttershy.” He smiled as he scooted down the bench to make room next to Twilight. “So, did I hear right? You run an animal shelter?” Grif sat next to Vital Spark. He was about to bite into his sandwich when he stopped dead. “Vital,” he whispered, “what am I looking at?” He stared, dumbfounded, in Fluttershy’s direction. “What’re you–? Ohhhhhhhh …” Fluttershy was taking dainty bites from a thick, juicy hamburger. Vital Spark shrugged. “Bit weird, but it’s normal here. I mean, she’s Human, right?” “It still feels wrong.” Grif shuddered before turning his eyes away and taking a bite of his food. As he scanned the room, he picked up several familiar figures in the crowd: Berry Punch, Vinyl Scratch, Derpy, a kid who may have been Pipsqueak, but he couldn’t find the familiar pinkette amongst the lunch crowd. “We’ll have to eat quickly,” he mumbled as he ate. “Right. I like the idea of a nice long lunch,” Pensword responded. Lunar Fang giggled into her sandwich. Vital cocked an eyebrow. “Wait a second, what do you mean ‘long lunch?’ Didn’t Grif literally just say we had to eat fast?” Vital’s sloppy joe was already halfway gone. The red stains stood out boldly against his white skin as he wiped the sauce off with his napkin. “Vital, anything longer than five minutes is a long lunch,” Pensword answered. “So, get to eating.” Somehow, despite all of his talking, Pensword’s plate was already halfway gone. “Even in another reality, Granny never disappoints.” Grif let out a loud belch. “Excuse me,” he said, rising with his empty tray. “... You guys think I should risk it?” Vital asked, holding the perfect red apple in front of him. Its skin shone in the light flowing down in a pillar from one of the upper windows, and his mouth watered as he stared longingly at it. “There is a first aid station in the front of the school. We can get you medical help if you need it,” Pensword said as he rolled his eyes. “Alright, I’m going in.” Vital Spark bit off a large chunk and chewed voraciously. “This apple’s amazing,” he said, his eyes wide and sparkling. “It is a proxy of an Apple Family apple.” Grif laughed as he sat down again, having returned his empty tray. Pensword walked back after putting his and Lunar Fang’s trays through the return slot. He sat down and, in a matter of seconds, polished off his own apple, leaving little left but the stem and the seeds. “So, uh, yeah. Sorry about that.” Vital Spark chuckled nervously as he blushed, then got up to toss his core. “So, where do we start?” “Come on, Twilight,” Grif said, pulling the still-eating girl to her feet. “We’ve got an insane pink menace to track down.” “But … but … but … my sandwich.” Twilight teared up as half her sandwich sat abandoned on her lunch tray. Pensword picked up the sandwich. “Eat on the move,” he instructed, handing it off to her. “Um … thanks, Pensword, Twilight said as she struggled to keep up with Grif. Lunar Fang and Vital Spark followed behind at a safe distance as they left the lunch room and entered the halls. The group looked around the vibrantly decorated gymnasium. “Balloons? Check. Streamers? Check. The color pink, even though it has no connotation to fall? Check. This is most definitely her work,” Grif said, “which means she will probably appear behind Vital Spark’s back in… now!” Grif said. “Hi! I’m Pinkie Pie, head of the Fall Formal Planning Committee. How can I help you?” she asked, causing Vital Spark to jump a good foot into the air before he dropped back to the floor again.  “Jeez, how does she do that?” Vital exclaimed. Grif just patted his shoulder and smiled consolingly. “I’m here to sign up to become the princess of the Fall Formal,” Twilight said. “Getting your name on the ballet kinda late, aren't you?” Pinkie asked as she searched some nearby supplies for something. “I’m brand new here,” Twilight replied. “Just arrived today.” “Of course you're new here! But now that I see you, do you all have twins that live in the city? And does your twin sister have a dog named Spike exactly like that one?” Pinky asked excitedly as she pointed to Spike. Pensword looked at the others. “I can neither confirm nor deny that question without consulting with the secretary.” “Okay, secret agent man,” Pinkie said as she pulled out a clipboard and proceeded to produce a pen from her hair. Twilight first took the pen in her mouth, then hesitantly smiled at Pinkie Pie, who continued to stare back. She slowly took the pen in her hand, then scrawled across the space in a series of loops and swirls. Finally, she smiled nervously and handed the pen back to Pinkie. “Wow,” Pinkie said as she squinted at the clipboard. “Your handwriting is terrible! It’s like you’ve never even held a pen before.” Twilight laughed nervously. “Is it?” Before Pinkie could respond, a loud voice shouted through the gym with a distinctive country twang. “Somebody order a dozen cases of fizzy apple cider?” Pinkie shot over. “Oh! Oh! Me, me, me! Yeah! Ha-ha! Me!” she cried happily. Pensword chuckled as he watched the familiar antics and relaxed. Nothing would be able to harm them here. He just might be able to enjoy this vacation.after all. Applejack smacked her cargo onto a nearby table, then let go of the case and turned to the door. “Mind taking care of the rest?” “Eeyup,” a tall boy said as he carried in four containers of cider at once. Applejack quickly removed the top basket to reveal a tall, muscular, slightly red-skinned boy with messy blond hair and matching green eyes. Anyone could tell the two were related, though it helped being from Equestria. “Hey, I know you,” Applejack said as she carried her crate over to another empty table. “Um, you do?” Twilight asked nervously. “Sure. You’re the new girl who gave Sunset Shimmer the what-for today.” She pulled a bottle of fizzy cider to her teeth and bit off a cap before guzzling it lustily. “Twilight sparkle here is gonna run against Sunset Shimmer for Princess of the Fall Formal,” Pinkie explained. Applejack promptly did one of the longest spit takes either world had ever seen. “I’d think twice about that. Oh, sure, she’ll probably approach you all friendly-like.” She promptly yanked Pinkie Pie down from where she had been hanging in mid-air and grabbed the heart-shaped balloon she’d been hanging on to with her mouth. She then drew an image of Sunset Shimmer on its front while Pinkie began to blow up a large orange balloon. Applejack brought her voice up to a higher falsetto. “‘I sure am looking forward to some friendly competition.’” Then she pulled up the orange balloon, which PInkie had taken the liberty of drawing a cartoon face of Twilight on, and lowered her voice slightly. “‘That’s so good to hear.’” She flipped Sunset’s balloon around to reveal a nail on its back. “But then, here comes the backstabbin’.” She popped Twilight’s balloon. “About the only girl you can trust less than Sunset Shimmer is Rainbow Dash.” “Rainbow dash?” Twilight exclaimed in shock. “She’s the captain of like every team in Canterlot High!” Pinkie said matter-of-factly as the balloon she’d been using as a bouncing ball toy beneath her legs popped. “Well, for now,” Grif said. “She’s also the captain of sayin’ she’s gonna do something for ya, and then turnin’ around and not even botherin’ to show up,” she said as she folded her arms angrily. Twilight placed a hand on Applejack’s shoulder. “Thanks for the advice, Applejack, but this is something I really need to do.” She motioned to herself, then dropped her arms to her waist. “Huh. Suit yourself.” Applejack laid a hand on her hip while the other held up in a casual shrugging gesture. Then she brought said hand to her lip as something occurred to her. “Hey, how did you know my name was Applejack?” Twilight laughed nervously. “Um, I uh … didn’t you say?” Big Mac piled another crate up “Nope.” Then he walked out as Pinkie Pie popped the top off one of the bottles of cider with the curl at the tip of her hair. “She did a ridiculous amount of research on the area to better acquaint herself with the school. She is, how do you say, a big nerd like that. In a small town like this, it is pretty hard not to hear about the rodeo queen herself.” Please still be a rodeo star, please still be a rodeo star, Grif thought to himself repeatedly. “I ain’t been in a rodeo in over three years. Ever since Miss Princess herself decided to grace us with her royal pain in the behind,” Applejack said, rolling her eyes. “We should probably get going. I believe we have some homework to take care of.” Vital Spark hastily took hold of Twilight and began directing her towards the gymnasium doors. “Well, uh, it sure was nice meeting you both. I’m sure I’ll be seeing you around,” Twilight said hastily, waving as Spike raced after them. Pinkie immediately popped up next to Applejack, fizzy cider in hand. “That one’s trying to hide a secret, but I’m on to her.” She leaned in and whispered, “she’s psychic.” Applejack just gave her a quizzical look. “Uhuh. If you say so.” Suddenly, the gym doors were thrown open as a familiar red-and-yellow haired tyrant walked in, shadowed by a tall gangly yellow boy with green hair and a short squat grey boy with orange hair. She sneered as she examined the room. “This looks terrible. There should be more streamers near the stage, and fewer balloons.” She promptly popped a pair of balloons as she glared at Pinkie Pie before sauntering towards another part of the gym. “Yeah,” Snips growled out in a failed attempt at intimidation as he tore some remnants of pink streamer paper. “Streamers.” Snails came across next, trying to pop a large yellow balloon by hugging it. “And Fewer Balloons.” He tried to finish, but only managed to fall onto his back with an audible thud while the balloon escaped his grasp and rose to the ceiling. Sunset looked at the crates of bottles in distaste. “Fizzy Apple Cider? Ugh! This is my coronation, not some hoedown!” she growled. Applejack began to fume. “Well, now, it ain’t necessarily gonna be your coronation this time around.” Sunset chuckled before scoffing “Oh, is that so? You country folk really aren't that bright. Must be why the other students say such awful things about you,” she sneered as she flipped Applejack’s stetson around and pulled it down to cover her face. Applejack growled, fuming as the top of her hat popped open to reveal an extremely red face. One could almost hear the sound of steam whistling in the air. “Obviously it’s gonna be my coronation. I’m running unopposed.” Pinkie Pie jumped in cheerfully. “Not this time! The new girl signed up!” she said, offering the clipboard as proof. “What?” Sunset shouted, grabbing the clipboard. “I know. Her handwriting is really bad,” Pinkie said, looking over Sunset’s shoulder. Sunset scanned the name over and over again. “Where is this Twilight Sparkle?” she growled menacingly, her eyebrows furrowing together. She started, realizing she’d just let her facade drop. She put out her best fake laugh, which, thanks to years of practice, was convincing enough to fool anyone present. “I’m looking forward to meeting the competition,” she said, spreading her arms apart in the act of fair sportsmanship. She handed the clipboard back to Pinkie Pie before turning to leave, her two cronies following behind. “And I’m going to make sure to crush it,” she said after the three had safely passed the doors into the halls. Snips and Snails snickered behind her as they left in search of Twilight. Twilight slowly made her way down the abandoned halls. She was already late for her next class, and she could hardly understand this new map. She kept getting all turned around in this school. She stopped in one of the older halls of the building. Faulty lighting cast several of the lockers in darker shadows as she struggled to make sense of the map again. “Can’t believe I didn’t recognise you earlier,” an all-too-familiar voice spoke out in a haughty tone as Sunset Shimmer approached with arms crossed. “Should have known Princess Celestia would send her prized pupil after my crown.” Her eyes locked on Spike. “And her little dog, too.” “It’s my crown,” Twilight exclaimed as she leaned in to stare Sunset down. “Whatever,” Sunset scoffed. “This is just a minor setback for me. You don’t know a thing about this place, and I already rule it!” she sneered. “If that’s so, why do you even need my crown? You went to an awful lot of trouble to switch it with the one that belongs here.” Sunset chuckled darkly. “Pop quiz: what happens when you bring an element of harmony into an alternate world?” She looked into Twilight’s blank expression and laughed. “You don’t know? Seriously? And you're supposed to be Celestia’s star student? Then again, what are the chances she’d find somepony as bright as me to take under her wing after I decided to leave Equestria? Bit embarrassing that you were the best she could do.” Spike growled and barked angrily at Sunset as he emerged from the backpack. “Oh, and I’d keep an eye on your mutt. Hate for him to be … taken away from you.” “Is that a threat?” Spike asked boldly as he extended a paw like a fist. “Of course not.” She smiled evilly at the pup. Spike barked in response, still baring his fangs as Sunset brought a silencing finger to his muzzle. Sunset leaned in. “But I’d cut down on the chatter if I were you. Don’t want everyone to know you don’t belong here now, do you?” She turned and walked away. “You want to be a princess here? Please. You don’t know the first thing about fitting in.” With these words, Sunset smirked and walked confidently down the hallway. While Sunset had been having her conversation with Twilight, Grif and Vital Spark had been searching for her. Seeing Sunset walk past them with her grin, Grif looked at Vital and silently jerked his head in Sunset’s direction. “Seriously?” Vital mouthed. Grif nodded and pointed. Vital sighed, threw up his hands in a why-me gesture, nodded, and followed after the girl. Sunset walked towards the gymnasium just in time to encounter Snips and Snails hopping out wrapped from head to toe in torn streamers. With a growl, she proceeded to tear the offending decorations off the two boys. She gestured just in time to reveal Twilight heading down the hall opposite to them with Grif. “I want you to follow her. Bring me anything I can use, just like the last girl who thought she could challenge me.” “You got it, Sunset Shimmer,” Snips said eagerly as he and Snails saluted in unison. Sunset turned from the pair and laced her fingers together in a tent as a shadow passed over her face. “When the crown and its power are mine, Twilight Sparkle will be sorry she ever stepped hoof into this world. Not that she’d be much safer in Equestria.” She chuckled darkly. “Yeah. In Equestria,” Snips said like an incompetent yes-man. When it came to evil, these two clearly had no real talent. Sunset growled as she turned on the pair. “What are you still doing here? Go!” She pointed down the hall after Twilight. The shout took them by surprise, causing the two bumblers to slam into each other. Each let out multiple exclamations of pain while stars danced around their heads briefly before they shook their heads and ran off. Vital Spark came around the corner and rolled his eyes as he saw the scattered streamers. “Augh. I wish people would stop leaving trash all over the place. I guess some things are just universal in every school.” He sighed as he stooped down to start picking up the debris. Then he looked up at Sunset. “Oh, I’m sorry, the name’s Vital Spark. I just transferred here. What’s your name?” he asked, clutching a set of streamers in one hand as he extended the other. Sunset scoffed. “Whatever,” she said, turning and walking away slowly. “Wow. Talk about a cold shoulder,” he muttered as he finished picking up the streamers. “Nice meeting you, too!” he called out after her, then walked into the gym to return the streamers to Pinkie Pie before making his way back out into the hall. “Now I’ve just gotta find Grif. Let’s see. He’s with Twilight, who’s going to be completely lost. She’ll be looking for somewhere she feels comfortable …” he did a facepalm. “Of course. Doy.” With that said, he navigated the halls with the assistance of the school map, stuffing one of the streamers Sunset had touched into his pocket for potential use later. Twilight continued down the hall until her stomach growled. She approached one of the snack machines and gazed at the contents inside, licking her lips as she eyed the fruit slices next to the peanut butter crackers. Realizing the barrier that kept her from this delicious snack, she grabbed the side of the machine and tried to pull it open from the front. When that didn’t work, she tried pushing it instead. Still, the iron vault wouldn’t yield up its delicious tangy treasure. She plastered herself to the glass and looked inside, her stomach insistent as it growled yet again. Her eyes narrowed with determination as she dropped to the ground on her hands and feet and raised her right leg. Just as she was about to kick with all her might, a familiar figure with pale blue skin walked up with her haughty voice. “Excuse me,” she said as she passed Twilight and looked into the machine. She wore a blue school hoodie and a pair of light blue boots accented with purple tops and toes with white stars. Her purple skirt bore her counterpart’s cutiemark while a single gold embossed purple star pin had been placed in her hair. “The Great and Powerful Trrrrrrixie–!” She raised her hands into the air dramatically with balled fists. Then she dropped back down and smiled into her reflection, opening a hand to reveal a familiar golden coin. “–needs some peanut butter crackers.” She popped the coin in, entered the code for the snack, and retrieved it, holding it between her two fingers as she walked past Twilight magnanimously. “Voilah,” she said. Twilight looked on after she left, then turned to face Spike as he peeked out from her bag. Pain and discouragement showed in her eyes. “Sunset Shimmer is right.” She slumped forward and started to walk aimlessly. “I don’t know the first thing about this place.” “Then it’s a very good thing we came with you,” Grif spoke up as he approached her. Seeing a passing student, he waved. “Hey man, spare some change?” he asked “Oh, sure.” The student reached into his pocket and placed a few coins in Grif’s hand. “Thanks.” The other student nodded before walking off. Grif reached the vending machine and an instant later, approached Twilight, offering the fruit cup. “I, Pensword, Vital Spark, and even Hammer Strike had to do time here at one point. High school is tough, but we can get you through it.” Twilight smiled weakly as she took the cup and opened it, popping a piece of strawberry in her mouth. She sighed in relief as her stomach finally started to quiet down. “Thanks, Grif. I … I just feel so overwhelmed. If I’m going to really fit in and win votes, we need to do some research.” She popped another piece of fruit into her mouth, then offered the cup to Grif. Grif refused. “It’s fine. I ate enough at lunch, and I still have some of my emergency dried meat in my pack. Not everything was changed when we arrived.” “Research?” spike asked. Twilight began to walk again as Grif trailed behind. “This place has a school,” she said, lifting her hands as she began to exercise her deductive reasoning. “I have to believe it’s got a–” she stopped in front of an inconspicuous set of doors and turned to see a sparkling clean “–library!” She turned and shot her hands up above her head in victory, grinning as she raced inside. “I swear she has a sixth sense for these things.” Grif facepalmed as he followed her. “Gah.” Pensword growled in frustration as he exited one of the classrooms. “Why is it that base four is an invalid form of mathematics? I learned that way. It is the freshest in my mind, and yet I am marked wrong on it in the class quiz. I even showed my work for feather’s sake. It might have taken him more time to analyze, but I should be correct.” Lunar Fang placed a consoling arm around his shoulder. “How many fingers do humans have?” she asked. “Uh...” Pensword quickly looked down at the fingers and wiggled them. “Ten.” “Gryphons used that for the basis of their mathematics, too. It’s why Equestria had to reform the educational system to account for it,” Lunar Fang explained. “You are telling me that I am going to have to relearn math? Again?” He whined. “I just ... can I just have a nice event where I do not have to reinvest my entire learning over?” He finally noticed the looks he was attracting. “Yeah … might want to talk about this later.” “How do you do it?” she asked him quietly. “Do what?” He asked as they drew closer to the school’s entrance. “Your wings. You don’t seem bothered by their absence at all. It’s driving me mad.” “It is driving me crazy,” Pensword admitted. “However, I am drawing upon Matthew’s memories and feelings to keep from total panic. According to him, we grew up without wings, so I should be able to cope.” “You make it sound so easy.” She sighed heavily. Looking at her now, Pensword could finally tell just how fragile her state really was. “Well, when we get settled in, how about–?” he leaned in and whispered into her ear. “Would that help?” He asked, leaned back with a smirk. For the first time since they arrived, Lunar Fang blushed deeply. “Oh, I think that would help immensely,” she replied, giggling. Pensword chuckled at her reaction. “Good. We should make do, and hopefully this week will pass quickly. Then we can return home.” He paused as he realized something. “Should we start buying books to bring back? Or anything else?” “... We’d have to be careful about sneaking it through, but I think we could get a few things.” “Good. Because we can learn a lot here and apply it back home. Say, do you think we can still detect weather changes?” “I honestly don’t know. I’m still trying to adjust to this. How did you ever get used to it?” Pensword laughed. “Used to what? Remember, I was born like this. I didn’t get a Pony form until later.” He shuddered briefly. “So, I am comfortable in both forms now, although I much prefer my Pony form. After all, it has wings, and I can sit on a cloud.” He winked at her. “I just hope this week goes by quickly.” “Same here. I do not want Moon River to get too spoiled while we’re gone.” He casually looked down at his hand, then jerked to a halt. “Woah.” He began to laugh. “It looks like we have wedding rings.” He pointed to the simple gold band on her ring finger. “You mentioned these. They’re the human equivalent to heart gifts, right?” “That is correct. They also stand as a physical sign of our oaths as a Thestral couple.” “Well, at least there is something that mirror can’t take from us.” She smiled, giving him a short peck on the cheek. “Agreed. Even if we are more like teenage sweethearts in this world,” he muttered, blushing from the peck as they sat on a nearby bench to wait, among other things.